Post by Howard Metcalfe on Mar 3, 2007 12:09:11 GMT -5
First, by way of explanation: To test the ability of PAWriter to successfully import various GEDCOM lines, I used a couple of GEDCOM files provided by John Nairn, the developer of GEDitCOM, that constituted "torture" tests for GEDCOM import. These GEDCOM files include virtually all of the lines permitted by the GEDCOM 5.5 standard.1 I give PAWriter an A- on recognizing and adding lines from these "nightmare" GEDCOM files to people's notes.
Now, in order to visually decipher John's GEDCOM files, I added a "secret" feature to PAWriter that takes a GEDCOM file and produces a "reformatted" version of that GEDCOM file. In the reformatted version, GEDCOM "records" (lines starting with level 0) are separated by a blank line, and within a record the lines are indented according to their level. This really simplified my understanding of what was in those GEDCOM test files.
This "secret" PAWriter feature is invoked in the main window by typing a tilde (~). You will be asked for the location of the GEDCOM file and then the location of where to put the reformatted file. You will be notified when the reformat is done. No progress bar, just a watch cursor while waiting.
The GEDCOM standard expressly states that such a reformatted GEDCOM file is not to be used for import, just display. But PAWriter will actually import the reformatted GEDCOM file anyway.
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1For a browser version of the GEDCOM 5.5 standard, see homepages.rootsweb.com/~pmcbride/gedcom/55gctoc.htm
Now, in order to visually decipher John's GEDCOM files, I added a "secret" feature to PAWriter that takes a GEDCOM file and produces a "reformatted" version of that GEDCOM file. In the reformatted version, GEDCOM "records" (lines starting with level 0) are separated by a blank line, and within a record the lines are indented according to their level. This really simplified my understanding of what was in those GEDCOM test files.
This "secret" PAWriter feature is invoked in the main window by typing a tilde (~). You will be asked for the location of the GEDCOM file and then the location of where to put the reformatted file. You will be notified when the reformat is done. No progress bar, just a watch cursor while waiting.
The GEDCOM standard expressly states that such a reformatted GEDCOM file is not to be used for import, just display. But PAWriter will actually import the reformatted GEDCOM file anyway.
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1For a browser version of the GEDCOM 5.5 standard, see homepages.rootsweb.com/~pmcbride/gedcom/55gctoc.htm